SYNTHESIS REPORT

1 ABOUT THIS REPORT

Promising Practices in Refugee is a Approaching the immediate crisis with joint initiative of Save the Children, the world’s a long-term perspective: largest independent children’s rights organisation, 1. Strengthen inclusive national systems UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, and Pearson, 2. Commit to predictable multi-year funding for education the world’s learning company. programming and research in refugee responses 3. Improve collaboration and develop innovative partnerships Launched in March 2017, the initiative set out to identify, document and promote innovative ways to effectively reach refugee children Understanding different contexts and meeting distinct needs and young people with quality educational opportunities. 4. Adopt user-centred design and empowering approaches This report synthesises the key findings and lessons learned from 5. Establish diverse pathways that meet distinct needs across more than twenty projects that were selected as part of the 6. Use space and infrastructure creatively initiative.

Projects have been grouped under one or more of six themes. Improving outcomes for all 7. Support teachers to help ensure quality Equity 8. Prioritise both learning and well-being Access 9. Use technology as an enabling tool in pursuit of education Learning outcomes 10. Build a robust evidence base Wellbeing

Technology

System Strengthening

Those projects and the experience of implementing partners have been used to identify ten recommendations, grouped under three overarching pillars, aimed at improving refugee and practice.

Cover Image: A Sudanese refugee boy smiles broadly at a gym class at the St. Andrew’s Refugee Services centre in Cairo, Egypt. © Scott Nelson/UNHCR

2 FOREWORD

Migration and displacement dominate our news media, and for However, the identification, testing and replication of new and good reason: the world is witnessing the highest levels of human innovative ways to provide education also have an important part to displacement on record. An unprecedented 65.3 million people play, which is the purpose of this initiative and the Synthesis report. around the world have been forced from their homes. Among them We are delighted that so many organisations responded to our call are nearly 21.3 million refugees: people who have fled their country for proposals, and that more than twenty projects were identified, seeking protection from violence or persecution. And over half of and have now been documented. Those case studies will be an the world’s refugees are children. important contribution to global knowledge of good practice, in the field of refugee education. From them, we have identified ten Refugee children are five times more likely to be out of school recommendations aimed at improving refugee education policy and than non-refugee children. Just over half have access to primary practice, which we hope will receive wide support. education, but only 22 per cent have the chance to attend secondary school, and just one per cent attend . This We hope our collaboration - which brought together civil society, stands in stark contrast to the priority that refugee children, and the private sector and the UN - inspires others to work together to their parents, put on education. They see schooling as a source of deliver on the promise of education for refugee children. hope and opportunity, and they are right. If we neglect this essential task, we will be failing to nurture peace The returns on investing in education are immense and far-reaching. and prosperity. Education provides the keys to a future, in which Education gives children a place of safety, and can also reduce refugees can empower themselves and their communities, which early marriage, child labour, and military recruitment by armed ultimately benefits us all. groups. It enables refugees to fulfil their potential improving their job prospects, as well as boosting their confidence and self-esteem. It is also central to building peaceful and prosperous communities, either where they seek refuge, or on their return to their country of origin.

But, the barriers to accessing education for refugees remain formidable. All too often, education for refugee children is considered a luxury, a non-essential optional extra after food, water, shelter and medical care. It is the first item to drop off the list when funding is short, which remains a perennial problem. Closing the refugee education funding gap is urgently required, and something that we are all committed to.

Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Filippo Grandi, Kate James, Chief Executive, UN High Commissioner Chief Corporate Affairs and Save the Children for Refugees, Global Marketing Officer, International UNHCR Pearson

Photo: Day Klui Paw*, 10 years old, in her classroom at Mae La Camp, Mae Sot, Thailand. She loves going to school because she can find all the teachers and friends she loves in one place. © Egan Hwan/Save the Children

3 INTRODUCTION

The refugee education crisis The failure to provide education to the growing number of refugee children must be addressed urgently. Quality education is a human The world is witnessing the highest levels of human displacement right. It is also one of the most important investments a country can on record. An unprecedented 65.3 million people around the world make in individuals, communities and the economy — making it a have been forced from their homes. Among them are over 21 million social and economic imperative. During displacement, the need for refugees: people who have fled their country seeking protection education, for safe, nurturing environments, for hope for the future from violence or persecution. Over half of the world’s refugees are and a path to rebuild, is even more critical. under the age of 18. There is growing recognition of, and support for, providing education Unfortunately, the majority of refugee children experience the services to refugees. During 2016, education in humanitarian double jeopardy of losing both their homes and their education. On situations in general and for refugees in particular, became the average, refugee children are five times less likely to attend school focus of the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference, the than other children. Indeed, only 50% of refugee children are in World Humanitarian Summit, the UN General Assembly and the primary school, 22% in secondary school and only 1% enter tertiary Leaders’ Summit. Education for refugees was also a principal driver education streams. Girls and children with disabilities are even of the establishment of Education Cannot Wait, a global fund for more likely to be out of school. Where refugee children and young education in emergencies. people can access education, the quality is often poor, putting their learning and well-being at risk. Whilst the challenges of providing education to the world’s refugee children are contextual, multiple and varied, with sustained attention, sufficient political will, and a commitment to creativity and innovation, they can, and must, be overcome.

4 INNOVATION IN EDUCATION FOR REFUGEES

Catalysing solutions for refugee education at scale requires The case studies cover a wide geography, different age ranges and increased resource and political will, but also new and improved come from a variety of different types of organisations, working on ways of providing educational services. While innovative practices different issues using a wide range of programmatic approaches. in refugee education exist, they are often not well known or In short there is a wealth of fascinating education programming for understood outside of their context. refugees covered.

Through the Promising Practices in Refugee Education initiative Brief summaries of all the case studies are available in the Annex (PPIRE), Save the Children, UNHCR and Pearson set out to to this report and detailed case studies are available on the initiative increase awareness of the important work happening in the sector; website. demonstrate the diverse ways in which organisations and individuals are responding to the challenge of providing quality education for Documentation for learning, replication and scale up refugees; enhance understanding of what works both in individual According to the World Bank, ‘a case study is not just another projects and across them; and use the experiences and insights “story” but an important method of applied and empirical research. gained to inform policy and practice. Case studies can provide a clearer understanding of the sequence The initiative also shines a light on the demand for education from of events and balance the perspectives of key actors, helping us refugee children themselves, along with the inspiring lengths to untangle cause and effect.’ which refugee communities are prepared to go to ensure that their Documenting good practice creates a record of what actions children can in fact continue to learn. took place, when, and how they led to a positive outcome and can Organisations working in refugee settings across the globe, from contribute to the process of learning within a group, organisation, small grass roots groups to large INGOs, were invited to apply to geographical area or sector. participate in the promising practices initiative. Applications focused The principal goal of the Promising Practices in Refugee Education on the key themes of access, quality, well-being, equity, technology initiative was to contribute to that learning process and ultimately to and system strengthening. The vast number of submissions closing the refugee education gap. highlights the range of innovative work happening across the globe.1

A competitive selection process led to 20 promising practices being documented as case studies. They were selected following an assessment of all the proposals received against the following criteria:

• Relevance • Innovation • Impact (including reach, lift, catalytic effect and monitoring and evaluation) • Participation and partnership orientation • Sustainability (including efficiency and cost-effectiveness, sustainability, scalability and replicability) • Lessons Learned

Photo: Ibrahim Hassan Ahmed, 14, is enrolled in Save the Children’s Alternative Basic Education programme (ABE) for Somali refugees in Heleweyn camp, Dollo Ado Ethiopia. © Jonathan Hyams/Save the Children

1 The promising practices initiative focused on education initiatives for children and young people up to the age of 18, but recognizes the importance of the innovative work happening at the tertiary level. Further case studies will be produced on this issue, and a blog by Allison Anderson can be found at www.promisingpractices.online

5 CASE STUDY OVERVIEW

TURKEY

Organisation: Mercy Corps Intervention: LEARN

SERBIA

Organisation: Save the Children Intervention: Program on the Move

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES

Organisation: Caritas Switzerland Intervention: Essence of Learning

SOUTH SUDAN AND EGYPT

Organisation: Save the Children Intervention: Learning and Well-being in Emergencies

CHAD

Organisation: i-ACT Intervention: Little Ripples

KENYA

Organisation: Teachers College, Columbia University Intervention: Teachers for Teachers

Organisation: Windle Trust Kenya Intervention: Two Schools in One

Organisation: World University Service of Canada Intervention: Program

BURUNDI

Organisation: Libraries Without Borders Intervention: Ideas Box

6 LEBANON

Organisation: International Rescue Committee Intervention: Evidence for Action (3EA)

Organisation: Norwegian Refugee Council Intervention: Non-formal education programming

SYRIA

Organisation: UNRWA Intervention: Education in Emergencies Programme

MYANMAR

Organisation: Children on the Edge Intervention: Standing in the gap

JORDAN

Organisation: Relief International Intervention: Social Innovation Labs

Organisation: War Child UK Intervention: Time to be a Child

JORDAN AND ETHOPIA

Organisation: We Love Reading Intervention: We Love Reading

DR CONGO, KENYA, SOUTH SUDAN, TANZANIA

Organisation: The Vodafone Foundation Intervention: Instant Network Schools

7 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

APPROACHING THE IMMEDIATE CRISIS WITH A planning, and sensitization campaigns. In 2014, refugees were LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE included in the national education sector plan, funded by the Global Partnership for Education. The refugee education crisis demonstrates an urgent need to bridge the gap between humanitarian response and broader The role of non-formal programmes in supporting the development strategies. refugee integration Several of the PPIRE case studies also illustrate the important ways Recommendation 1. Strengthen inclusive in which non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society national systems organisations (CSOs) can play a critical role in supporting inclusive national systems by providing non-formal education programmes Given the scale and protracted nature of refugee crises, it is widely that meet the needs and gaps not met by the government system. recognised that integrating refugee children and young people into Many of the case studies illustrate the critical role that NGOs can national systems is the most effective means of ensuring relevant, play in providing accelerated education, psycho-social support, quality education opportunities for refugees. This is the most language classes and remedial education to ensure that children sustainable way of providing for the educational needs of refugees are better prepared to engage in the national system – services that and of ensuring that the education refugees receive is recognised. host country governments may not be in a position to provide. These efforts are particularly effective when done with the support and It is vital therefore, that host country governments have refugee recognition of national governments. For example, the Norwegian inclusive policies and practices, so that children can access Refugee Council’s (NRC) non-formal education programming in and thrive in the formal system where possible, and if not, can Lebanon, aimed to meet Syrian children’s immediate education access and thrive in accredited non-formal education. However, needs while also supporting their access to the formal education over 89% of the world’s refugees live in low- and middle-income system through a three-phased approach. NRC built a strong countries whose education systems already struggle to meet the relationship with the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher needs of the most marginalised. At the same time, more than Education to design the programme and went on to be one of the half of the world’s refugee population live in urban areas side by seven elected members of the NGO sub-committee, representing side with members of the communities which host them, often the NGO community to the Programme Management Unit within in the poorest and most deprived parts of the world’s cities. This the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. In Egypt, Save the reality points to the importance of reforms which enable refugee Children has been working closely with government counterparts children to access and succeed in the local education system at to integrate the Learning and Well-Being in Emergencies initiative the same time as underlying the vital importance of improving that tools and lessons learned into their remedial education curriculum system for the community. It has been common practice since the and rolling out a national training of teacher trainers scheme. beginning of UNRWA’s education system that UNRWA schools Learning and Well-Being in Emergencies is an approach to use the curriculum of each host country. This ensures that UNRWA education in emergencies programming that focuses not only students can continue their education at government secondary on but on the issues impacting children’s capacity to schools and and sit for national examinations. learn. It is currently being piloted in Cairo, Egypt and Doro Camp, Integrating refugees into the national education Maban, South Sudan. Uptake by the government and scale up will system: the case of contribute to the longer-term sustainability of the approach. The Government of Chad’s transition initiative is illustrative of the When Ministry-approved education is not available, NGOs can also important work that can be done to develop inclusive relevant play a critical role in providing ‘stop gap’ education while supporting educational opportunities. In Chad, refugee students from the advocacy efforts to open up services – this is the approach taken Central African Republic (CAR) follow the Chadian curriculum, by Children on the Edge to support education for Rohingya refugee however Sudanese refugees have followed the Sudanese children on the Myanmar- Bangladesh border. Standing in the gap curriculum since their arrival in 2003, in a parallel approach. While delivers low profile and community driven education to support at the onset of the crisis, there was an assumption that refugees refugee children with no access to services. Recognising the would soon return to Darfur, nearly 15 years later the parallel complex dynamics of the area, the pressure on all actors involved system was no longer deemed appropriate. In the long run, a and the limits on resources, Children on the Edge established, parallel system does not promote quality education for children, 45 small classrooms, dispersed throughout the camp, with basic as teachers are not able to obtain qualifications, schools are learning materials. Classrooms were built out of mud either within not properly monitored, and children cannot access recognized or alongside existing dwellings to keep a low-profile. 45 Rohingya examinations that would allow them to continue with their studies in refugees from the camps were trained as teachers, through a ‘train the host country. In the new strategy, the Government of Chad are the trainer’ system. While providing these services, Children on working closely with UNHCR, UNICEF and UNESCO to transition the Edge work with local partners and the community to advocate Sudanese children into an integrated national education system. to UN agencies and government officials to take over service This has involved innovative needs assessments, curriculum provision. transition workshops, teacher training schemes, collaboration and

8 PERSONAL IMPACT STORY Flying dragons and breathing on Mars, the dream of a Syrian refugee girl Norwegian Refugee Council’s Non-Formal Education in Emergencies in Lebanon

“We learnt the alphabet by handcrafting letters with cardboard and my letter K handcraft was the best in our class,” says an excited Vanessa. “I loved my teachers at NRC’s centre. Everyone treated me good and no one was mean to me,” Linda says. “I felt relieved that they started. It was enough to see the happiness in their eyes when they came home or before going to NRC’s community centre. It used to make me so happy, they enjoyed education. Vanessa used to smile every day. She was always happy. I can’t explain how that made me feel,” says Amira.

The NRC’s learning centre at Saadnayel teaches classes in math, French and to refugee children who are not in school so they can adapt to the Lebanese curriculum once they start in governmental schools. The sisters loved their French and Arabic classes which helped them in their new schools. After finishing the summer classes, they were referred by the NRC to a nearby governmental school in Saadnayel. “In our school today it was difficult making new friends, but my friends from the NRC classes started at the same school. Vanessa is popular and everyone wants to be Photo: Amira and her children in the NRC learning centre. © NRC her friend because she is the top student of her class,” says Linda proudly. “I have one question that my mom can’t answer,” says Linda* with a curious smile. “Has anyone ever tried breathing on Mars and didn’t Linda and Vanessa dream about Mars and flying dragons. “My sister succeed? And why haven’t they found a way to live on Mars?”, she wants to discover dragons and fly on them,” Vanessa whispers. “But asks. Linda, 10, is eagerly waiting to hear the answer as she says that I want to help mum when I grow up,” she says. “I want to discover she wants to become a scientist when she grows up. “She is always everything in the world,” Linda adds. The positive energy of this young so curious about everything and her questions never end,” says girl spreads across the room as she talks about her dreams. “Linda Amira*, Linda’s mother. is often the leader and all the children in our neighbourhood in Syria used to wait for her to play with them. Vanessa is very caring and A year ago, Amira and her family were forced to flee to Lebanon after always wants to support me,” says Amira. “For me it was enough to moving several times within Syria to find safety. Their first period in see the happiness in their eyes when they came home or before Lebanon was difficult and her young daughters were often bothered going to the NRC’s community centre. It used to make me so happy, and stressed. Amira was worried about her daughters being deprived they enjoyed the classes” says Amira. of education until she got in touch with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). “I had taken my children out to a nearby park when I “I want to return to my house in Syria, to be independent and have my saw the sign at the community centre in Saadnayel and went in to ask freedom back,” says Amira. “When we left home I never thought we about the summer education programme. They immediately enrolled would become refugees. I didn’t want to be away for so long. I love my daughters Linda and Vanessa, and although classes had already Syria. I was happy there and I miss everything about it. It was peaceful started they began the next day.” and safe. I always tell myself that that there is no war in Syria and we will return soon. At least that is the attitude I need to have to make it Linda and her 7-year-old younger sister, Vanessa, are two of around through the day. I need to have hope,” Amira concludes. 1,750 children who attended non-formal education programmes for out-of-school children through the NRC in 2016. Specifically, * Children’s names have been changed in accordance with child the NRC’s Basic Literacy and Numeracy programme provides protection best practices. out-of-school children with viable pathways and prepares them for government-led formal school. “The classes at NRC centre were very good and gave them a safe space to be children. I saw how they changed, becoming happier every day. They made new friends and were having fun for the first time in a long time. Every morning they were excited to go to school where they could release all their energy. Also, the load of homework was manageable and we would use YouTube to solve things that were difficult,” says Amira.

9 Recommendation 2. Commit to predictable multi-year The value of predictable, long-term funding funding for education in refugee responses The NRC’s Non-Formal Education programme in Lebanon illustrates the impact that predictable multi-year funding can have. All of the projects that were selected as part of the promising The long-term funding agreements, with more than one donor, practices series illustrate the critical importance of multi-year ensured flexibility and sustainability, and allowed the focus on funding for quality education interventions during protracted crises quality implementation rather than on reaching artificially imposed involving refugees. targets. They were able to develop the three-phased approach that would meet learners critical and immediate educational needs, The majority of refugee education interventions rely on funding from while also preparing learners over time to re-enter the formal school the woefully underfunded humanitarian system. system.

Of the UN-coordinated humanitarian appeals in 2016, only 60% Other promising practices illustrate how a lack of funding, of requests were met, leaving a 40% shortfall on requests. Further exacerbated by its short-term, unpredictable nature has a negative these requests rarely meet the actual needs of people in need of impact on the sustainability of initiatives, even when the projects humanitarian assistance as they are aggregates of requests by have proven results. For example, the United Nations Relief and organisations and not based on comprehensive needs assessments. Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) face severe financial constraints, despite providing a critical lifeline To make matters worse education is the poor cousin of this to Palestine refugees in Syria in the face of widespread suffering. underfunded system. In 2016 education received only 1.9% of In the 2015/16 school year, UNRWA schools were nearly unable to humanitarian funding.a open due to lack of funding, and unpredictable financing presents Where funding is available, the support provided is always short- a significant difficulty in terms of planning for future programmatic term, with spending earmarked against projects that reflect donor needs. Stable, multi-year support that extends beyond a two-year priorities, which do not always reflect the needs on the ground. At timeline would allow UNWRA to consolidate existing achievements, the same time, in most contexts, refugee education receives little or more strongly institutionalise education in emergencies capacity, no national education budget allocation, unless a specific refugee while also extending their planning horizon. For example, there is an education plan is put in place. As a result, education in refugee increased need for counsellors in Syria, which is currently met by contexts falls between these funding gaps, making planning and project funding, but for the provision of psychosocial support to be delivery of services on a medium, let alone a long term basis sustainable, a longer-term solution needs to be developed. impossible. Short-term funding also does not allow for investments The lack of multi-year funding has a particular impact on the quality in rigorous research that can lead to meaningful learning about and efficacy of interventions. There is a critical need for more what works to improve refugee education, as well as how, where, research and evidence into what works, where, for whom, under for whom, under what conditions and at what cost. While efforts are what conditions and at what cost. However, research-practice afoot to start to address this, such as Education Cannot Wait and partnerships such as the Education in Emergencies: Evidence new mechanisms within the Global Partnership for Education, there for Action (3EA) partnership between the International Rescue is a long way to go. Committee (IRC) and Global TIES for Children at New York It is critical that donors commit more and better funding to University (TIES/NYU) require sustained capacity – multi-year support the delivery of education through both humanitarian and funding is needed to retain talented staff and to allow staff to plan development mechanisms. and execute a learning agenda. If the international community is serious about ensuring quality education opportunities for refugee children, as outlined in Sustainable Development Goal 4 and the New York Declaration, they must invest in research and provide predictable, multi-year funding.

Photo: As part of the back-to-school campaigns coordinated with the Government of Lebanon, the IRC identified and recruited children enrolled in formal schools for their retention support programme. © IRC

10 11 12 Recommendation 3. Improve collaboration and Collaboration to deliver innovation and new resources develop innovative partnerships Given the limited resources in the sector, it is more important than ever to explore new partnerships with the private sector that can The barriers to refugee education are complex and efforts to support efforts to deliver education, helping to maximise resources overcome them are significantly under resourced. In the face of and expertise. these constraints, many of the promising practices that we identified and documented used improved collaboration and innovative The Vodafone Foundation’s Instant Network Schools partnership partnerships to improve the reach, overall quality and effectiveness with UNHCR is an example of how this can be done. They are of education for refugees. working to empower refugee schools with Internet and digital tools to enhance education programmes and achieve greater A key message from all the promising practices we look at is that learning outcomes. The partnership model between the Vodafone host country governments, donors, UN agencies, non-governmental Foundation and UNHCR illustrates how the private sector and organisations, private sector partners and community-based foundations can collaborate with the public sector to open-up organisations all have an important role to play in meeting the needs new opportunities through co-designing and implementation of a of refugee and host community children. programme. The Vodafone Foundation views itself as a technology partner leveraging technology expertise to support the delivery of Collaboration to deliver accredited learning an impactful education programme. opportunities Relief International have also explored partnerships with the private Effective coordination and strong relationships between agencies sector for their Social Innovation Labs innovation – where refugee and the national Ministry of Education (MoE) in host countries youth build their 21st century life skills while developing practical are key to ensuring that children can access accredited learning solutions for social issues with their communities in Za’atari and opportunities – either directly through the formal system, or through Azraq camps in Jordan. As freedom of movement is severely recognised pathways. In recent years, the Ministry of Education in restricted, and the right of refugees to work is very limited, Relief Chad has worked extensively with UNHCR, UNICEF and UNESCO, International are working with private partners to bring opportunities as well as Local Education Groups to facilitate the integration of to the camp environment itself to support the young participants Sudanese refugees into the national system, and both RET and entrepreneurial ideas. In so doing they are also demonstrating to the NRC have worked closely with ministries of education to provide private sector that refugees are a market and resource. accredited pathways into formal education systems. Several case studies in the pilot stage, recognise the need to work with Collaborate to build the evidence of what works the ministry in future as a key to ensuring their interventions are Partnerships between practitioners and academic institutions can recognised and provide learning which is accredited. also support the quality of interventions, and help meet the urgent Collaboration to deliver coherence and quality need for better evidence of what works in humanitarian contexts. In February 2016, the IRC and TIES/NYU launched the Education Collaboration amongst agencies can also play an important role in Emergencies: Evidence for Action (3EA) research-practice in improving technical quality and consistency – helping to avoid partnership, with the goal of expanding our knowledge of what duplication, ensuring efficient use of resource and expertise, works to achieve academic and social-emotional learning outcomes and helping to harness the power of collective efforts. Exciting for refugee children, as well as where, for whom, how and under innovation is happening in this area. For example, the Teachers in what conditions. Crisis Context Group, under the guardianship of the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE), is made up of 21 Teachers for Teachers, the promising practice delivering robust organisations with the shared mission of doing more and better professional development opportunities made up of training, to support teachers in crisis settings. They are working together coaching and mentoring, to teachers in Kakuma Refugee Camp in to move the sector away from one-off ineffective training models, Kenya, is the product of a powerful partnership between Teachers to multi-layered and continuous professional development and College, Columbia University and UNHCR. We Love Reading has support. Similarly, the Accelerated Education Working Group, partnered with Yale University, the University of Chicago and Brown under the guardianship of UNHCR, is focusing on a collective University to explore the impact of the programme on quality and effort to improve the quality and consistency of accelerated service. education through collective approaches and guiding principles that will shape efforts across the sector. Meanwhile INEE’s Conflict Sensitive Education Working Group is playing a vital role in ensuring education interventions overcome the prejudice and discrimination sadly often arising amongst, and between, refugee and host communities.

Photo: RET works closely with the Ministry of Education in Chad to provide accredited pathways into formal education systems.© RET

13 UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT CONTEXTS AND The Teachers for Teachers model designed by Teachers College, MEETING DISTINCT NEEDS Columbia University in collaboration with partners in Kakuma Refugee Camp Kenya, has also been designed around the principle The countries from which refugees flee differ widely as do the that, despite the lack of training and support, refugee teachers bring countries in which they seek asylum. Refugees arrive with different immense knowledge and experiences that need to be integrated educational experiences and needs, all of which require distinct into all elements of the teacher professional development initiative, responses. and as such must be involved in all elements of design and planning. This led to the development of the integrated model, using Despite this variety of context and requirements, there were some in-person teacher training, peer coaching, and mobile mentoring to universal learnings from all the promising practices, including the foster local and global communities of practice among teachers in importance of putting refugees and their needs at the centre of the camp. programme design and delivery; a recognition of the need to be create flexible pathways to accredited learning; and the challenge If the needs are better understood, the interventions are more likely for existing education systems, including their infrastructure, in to be designed in a way that is meaningful, but also empowering absorbing large numbers of new learners. to participants. For example, Relief International prioritised user- centred design with their promising practice in Za’atari and Azraq Recommendation 4. Adopt user-centred design camps in Jordan. The Social Innovation Lab (SIL) is a unique and empowering approaches programme of creative hang-out spaces for young people aged 14-18 years that enables them to propose and implement solutions All of the projects that have been documented clearly illustrate to address the social issues that their communities face in the that interventions are more effective when designed with refugee refugee camps. Youth and parents were consulted at every stage of children, teachers and communities. They are more likely to meet the programme. The approach motivates the youth involved to take their needs, to be relevant and empowering to the participants, responsibility in their community and to take on leadership roles, and to be more sustainable in the long run. Although much has while also developing relevant skills. Another example is Libraries been written about the importance of participatory approaches to Without Borders’ Ideas Box – a compact virtual and physical library humanitarian response, the rush to provide services and deliver requires the involvement of the local community, creating a sense programmes, combined with a perceived lack of expertise at the of ownership and empowerment. Focus groups and discussions local level, mean that participation of those affected is sadly often are held with the future users and community leaders, and the not prioritised or carried out in a meaningful way. box is customised to its environment and community of users. The contents and activities are then selected and designed to respond Ultimately, communities understand their needs better than external to specific needs of the community. actors that are often providing the intervention. It is critical to build in time and space to learn about the local setting and to conduct Ensuring communities feel ownership of interventions also plays an needs assessments that ensure any objectives and interventions important role in supporting the sustainability of refugee education are meaningful. initiatives. The participatory approach used by both the iACT Little Ripples initiative and Children on the Edge have created a model The user-centered design approach adopted for Mercy Corps’ whereby the presence of international actors on the ground is LEARN intervention – which provides non-formal education to limited and instead, the refugee community lead the day-to-day adolescent girls and boys in Gaziantep in Turkey – made sure the running of the programme. The iACT initiative, which empowers programme would meet the needs of the hardest to reach out- refugees to lead a programme in Chad refugee camps of-school children. They were able to design the programme to that have very little Early Childhood Development (ECD) provision, meet the students where ‘they were at’ in terms of schedule, time, has ensured that their solution is culturally-relevant, fosters location and content, and so provide non-formal education to child ownership from the outset, and enables the programme to be more laborers and young mothers who were falling through the gaps. replicable and sustainable. Indeed, the participants have been able to scale up the programme in their camps without the presence of iACT or other organisations. Similarly, We Love Reading in Jordan is an effective and sustainable model because it is managed and owned by local volunteers who are part of the community and know when and where to read to children. Adult volunteers increase their own educational level and professional skills as their reading proficiency improves. They became leaders in their communities and find hope and agency in their roles. In an innovative approach the We Love Reading programme can be licensed to any organisation to implement within their geographical location.

Photo: iACT’s initiative in Chad, empowers refugees to lead a preschool programme in refugee camps. This ensures the intervention is culturally relevant, fosters ownership and enables the programme to be more sustainable. © iACT

14 15 Recommendation 5. Establish diverse pathways Another example is The World University Service of Canada’s that meet distinct needs (WUSC) promising practice which is designed to provide greater support to vulnerable girls, through remedial education. The project

aims to improve the girls’ learning outcomes, reduce dropout rates, The case studies, within this initiative, also illustrate that providing a and increase the likelihood of the girls transitioning to secondary school space is simply not enough to ensure that refugee children school. Without these types of programmes, the chances of children can thrive in the formal system. Children who have experienced missing out on their education entirely increase significantly. Again, the impact of displacement may need additional assistance such both interventions illustrate the importance of truly understanding as language support, remedial education and curriculum catch the needs of the affected children and working closely with the up, psychosocial support, and life skills pertinent to their new learners and their communities. environment. With high numbers of children and young people having missed out on schooling, accelerated and flexible forms of Similarly, Save the Children Serbia are working to ensure that education are particularly important to provide a viable pathway children on the move, often seen as the hardest to reach due towards formals learning opportunities. Given the circumstances to being in transit, can still have access to relevant education refugees find themselves in, language and psychosocial support opportunities. Programme on the Move and its innovative toolkit, are also often vital ingredients for successful inclusion of refugee Boxes of Wonder, provide an excellent framework for development learners in national education systems. and implementation of psychosocial support (PSS) and non-formal educational activities to refugee and migrant children in transit Many displaced children have been out of school for extended through Europe. This work illustrates that learning should not periods of time. As such, they may not be ready to enter the national be “postponed” until the child reaches their permanent place of system at the appropriate level and may require catch up classes residence. and bridging programmes to ensure that they can succeed when they do enter the formal system in their host country. This is needed Many of the promising practices documented are also working to particularly if they will be learning in a new language, or using a support child well-being to ensure that children can succeed in new and unfamiliar curriculum or experiencing a different classroom national systems in the face of great adversity. Caritas Switzerland, environment. In such contexts, accredited non-formal education for example, links pedagogical and psychosocial components programmes are ideal for helping prepare students to enter the to foster children’s resilience and enhance their ability to learn. formal system. A large number of donor agencies, NGOs and They recognise that children living in a hostile environment, governments have set up accelerated education programmes to who have undergone toxic stress, need support in overcoming deliver condensed versions of national curricula designed to prepare their learning barriers. Their Essence of Learning programme students to start school at the right level. As there is a wide variety provides psychosocial support with accelerated learning, allowing of such programmes, of differing quality and effectiveness and with children to catch up and re-enter the national education systems. no existing standard, the Accelerated Education Working Group In 2016-2017, the IRC delivered non-formal retention-focused has come together to improve the quality and effectiveness of tutoring support, also known as remedial programming, to 6,400 these interventions across the sector. Both RET and the NRC have children enrolled in public schools in Lebanon and Niger, using developed interventions that can give children, who have been out its Learning in a Healing Classroom (LIHC) program. LIHC is an of school for extended periods, clear and supported pathways into evidence-based approach to providing reading and math courses the formal system, while addressing the needs and vulnerabilities in safe and supportive learning environments while also embedding that may make these children more likely to stay out of school. For targeted social-emotional learning (SEL) interventions into the example, NRC provided non-formal education (NFE) programming curriculum. The IRC and TIES/NYU are conducting research to to Syrian refugee and host community children over a four-year analyse whether and how non-formal tutoring support programmes period, that helped to provide a sense of normalcy, protection infused with SEL can bolster refugee children’s ability to succeed and self-reliance, at the same time as creating a pathway for their in formal education systems by improving their academic and social- learners to certified formal education. emotional learning outcomes.

Diverse pathways are particularly important to ensuring that we The case studies therefore illustrate the importance of non-formal reach the hardest to reach children with education. For example, learning opportunities for refugee children to catch-up, learn and through their promising practice in Gazantiep, Turkey, MercyCorps thrive in host country formal education systems. It is important that designed the LEARN programme in a way that would reach out of governments remove barriers and allow NGOS to implement this school youth, including young mothers and child labourers ‘where type of complementary programming, and that donors invest. they are at’ in terms of their schedules, their location and their isolation.

16 PERSONAL IMPACT STORY Changing lives with non-formal, accelerated learning opportunities Mercy Corps, Learning and Empowerment for Adolescents in their Neighbourhoods (LEARN), Turkey

Doaa, an 18-year-old Syrian refugee living in Gaziantep, learned The LEARN programme meets these participants half way by about the programme from her mother-in-law, who had a chance providing tablet computers so that they can access educational meeting with a Mercy Corps facilitator in their apartment elevator. material from home, paired with individual and group instruction The facilitator was registering out-of-school participants who were sessions in their immediate neighbourhoods. “It’s a useful programme interested in learning from home. for out-of-school Syrians,” she says. “We are now able to use different online education platforms and apps. The biggest challenge was [my “I liked the idea and I was keen to get registered with my sister-in- family’s] objection and my pregnancy,’’ she says. law,’’ she says. Doaa had once hoped to become a doctor in Syria, but the war cut her dreams and her studies short. By age 15, she While the path to success was not easy, Doaa’s insistence and was forced to drop out of school, flee to Turkey, and marry. When she patience played the greater role in overcoming them all. Through enrolled in LEARN at age 18, she was raising a son in Gaziantep and participating in LEARN, she says: ‘’Life has changed. My character pregnant with her second child. Barriers like early marriage, financial is stronger, and I’m now able to make better decisions and face my constraints, security concerns, and linguistic and cultural barriers problems confidently.’’ prevent Doaa and hundreds of thousands of other refugees from returning to school. With the support of LEARN, Doaa has rediscovered her love of learning. As her coursework concludes, Doaa is looking forward to discovering a new future instead of the one destroyed by war.

Photo: The LEARN programme provides flexible education, so that young people can access educational material from home as well as in group instruction. © Mercy Corps

17 PERSONAL IMPACT STORY I was really amazed by the influence that reading has left on children. We Love Reading, Jordan

I am Ghassan from Syria. I came to Jordan with my family and now The owner of the building where I live, noticed the number of children we live in Baqaa camp. My journey with We Love Reading started who come to the building, and when explained to her the reason, she when I attended a training with my mother. During the training, I loved prepared the roof of the building to become a per-manent place for the idea of reading aloud so much that I was the most enthusiastic reading. and active trainee, and I am the youngest and I know what children like better! I was really amazed by the influence that reading has left on children. After I finish reading any of the stories children start discussing the After the training, I started reading at a community centre. After a issues and what the story is really about. And when they see wrong few sessions, I noticed that my friends finish their lessons ear-lier to behaviors, such as littering, they criticize and hate that behavior. join the reading session. They loved the stories and shared them with their families, the thing that caused the number to get bigger and Now, we have launched an initiative to clean the streets of the camp. bigger. I needed some support to be able to handle reading to this By this initiative I can tell that the influence of reading has spread not huge number of children. So, I trained two of my friends to read with only on children, but also on the community around us! me, and divided the children to three reading groups. And for the influence that reading has left on me, I can say that I For a while, I had to stop because of my school exams, but the am proud to be an active change agent in my community. Everyone children did not want me to stop reading. Everyone started call-ing whatever their age can have a great influence on their surrounding by me and some of them came to my house to ask why have I stopped very simple ideas such as reading sessions for children. reading. I felt it is important to pursue reading, so I bought some I hope that We Love Reading will get bigger to reach more children stories and gave them to my friends, whom I pre-viously trained, and around the world! asked them to continue reading. And I opened the doors of my house for them to hold the reading ses-sions.

Photo: A child enjoying a reading aloud session organised by We Love Reading in Jordan. © We Love Reading

18 Recommendation 6. Use space and infrastructure Both MercyCorps’ LEARN initiative, and iACT’s Little Ripples creatively programme utilise refugee homes to provide education. Little Ripples is a refugee-led Early Childhood Development (ECD)

education programme operating in refugee camps in Goz Amer Host country education systems may not immediately have the and Djabal in eastern Chad. The programme builds the capacity absorptive capacity to provide for the influx of school-aged refugee of refugee women to implement and manage in-home children. In fact, given the number of school age refugees is and to improve the social-emotional, cognitive, and physical increasing – in 2014 alone the school age refugee population grew development of refugee children. Delivering preschool programmes by 30% - the stress on host country education systems can be in the existing home spaces of refugees living in camps reduces very significant. Early year’s provision and post-basic provision are the costs of building bespoke structures. This reduces the barriers particularly affected. Often there are insufficient funds together to education for young children at the same time as ensuring the with a lack of physical space for construction. Concerns about education provided is close to and owned by the refugee community the high cost of construction also give rise to concerns about themselves. whether infrastructure is the best use of the limited funds available. Ultimately, reaching increasing the capacity of a local school system One promising practice delivers technology in such a way that it to provide education for large numbers of refugees will require an provides new learning infrastructure. In 2014, Libraries Without expansion in infrastructure and the educational workforce. Interim Borders created the Ideas Box, an extremely compact virtual and measures designed to use existing teachers and infrastructure physical library that fits on 2 pallets and can be easily transported more effectively are however likely to be needed if we hope to and installed, even in the most difficult contexts. When open, deliver learning opportunities to new arrivals in a timely manner. the Ideas Box creates a 100 metres squared space packed with features: internet connection via satellite, 4 laptops, 15 touchscreen Double shift systems have been criticised for the impact the tablets, 50 electronic readers, 300 hard-copy books and numerous approach has on the quality of education delivered, the extra burden pedagogical tools. The Ideas Box aims to address the challenges placed on teachers, and the discrimination that can be involved. of the scarcity and low quality of educational tools, resources and However, Windle Trust Kenya have developed their innovative ‘Two training of teachers, in vulnerable communities, especially in crisis Schools in One approach’ to use the school infrastructure already situations. available in the camps more effectively – but in a way that meets the ministry-approved guidelines for the delivery of secondary Save the Children’s ‘Boxes of Wonder’ show how even while in education. Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps in Kenya have transit, without traditional classrooms, education can, and must just 12 secondary schools serving over 50 primary schools. This continue. Few organisations in Serbia offer structured non-formal situation has created a gap in delivering access to secondary school educational activities for refugee and migrant children, and the vast for all qualifying primary school graduates meaning the majority majority of children have no access to formal schools. In Serbia, of refugee children miss out on secondary education entirely. Due Save the Children recognised the need for a more flexible approach to the limited space in the camps, it is difficult to further expand to be able to comprehensively respond to children’s needs, even current secondary schools or establish new secondary schools that in situations when children are moving across many locations, or would accommodate more students. Their ‘Two Schools in One’ the time available for an intervention is unknown. Boxes of Wonder initiative shows that it is possible to undertake a double-shift system are an innovative and unique tool to develop and implement at the same time as working to preserve the quality of existing psychosocial and educational activities while on the move and in provision – the key to the approach is doubling the number of key transit locations. teaching staff, which rarely happens in double shift models. Meanwhile, UNRWA has developed innovative self-learning Many organisations are using space creatively and effectively to materials in line with the basic skills and concepts of core subjects ensure that non-formal education opportunities reach the most to support Palestinian children inside Syria who cannot regularly marginalised children who may not have accessed formal services. access school. These include Self-learning materials for Grades A unique feature of the We Love Reading programme is the 1-9 covering the core subjects of Arabic, English, Mathematics and utilisation of community spaces, such as mosques and churches, Science, Online Interactive Learning Programme and educational which are adapted for non-religious activities. We Love Reading is games focusing on literacy and numeracy for Grades 1-9; and a programme that trains adults to read aloud to children in public UNRWA TV educational lessons. spaces with relevant and meaningful stories to encourage a love of reading. Local volunteers organise read aloud sessions in public spaces in their neighbourhoods and books are exchanged amongst children. The project is managed and owned by local volunteers who are part of the community, and know when and where is best to read to children.

19 IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR ALL The promising practice Teachers for Teachers in Kakuma Refugee Even when refugee students have access to education, the Camp, Kenya builds on this work. Teachers for Teachers provides conditions are often so abysmal that effective learning is impossible. an innovative professional development initiative for teachers in the camp that includes teacher training, peer coaching, and mobile For refugees and host community children, access to school is mentoring. Evidence from the model suggests that this robust not in itself a guarantee of learning. Interventions must look to approach to teacher professional development is not only improving improve outcomes, both for refugees and for host community teaching practice and student learning, but also fostering protective learners. These recommendations consequently point to the and constructive learning environments, and bolstering teacher importance of supporting teachers; delivering programmes that confidence and their motivation to remain teachers. specifically address both learning and wellbeing; and embracing the opportunities associated with modern technology. The final iACT’s Little Ripples initiative has trained 91 refugee women as recommendations underscores the need to build the evidence base early childhood teachers in the Goz Amer and Djabal camps in of what works best for equitable learning in refugee contexts. Chad. Trained teachers in the initiative have reported improved relationships with their students, increased attendance, an increase in children’s excitement and positive feelings for preschool, and Recommendation 7. Support teachers to help improvements in student educational milestones. These positive ensure quality changes to both teaching practice and teacher identity take time and require long term, multi-layered support. Teachers are the most important school-based factor in determining the quality of education. The pivotal role that teachers play in both Host country teachers, working with refugees, may also need student learning and student well-being is even more pronounced specialist training to address the distinct needs of refugee learners in refugee contexts, where children face increased vulnerabilities, – particularly regarding language and psychosocial support. such as the psychosocial distress associated with conflict, Through their Essence of Learning work, Caritas Switzerland have separation and displacement. However, in crisis contexts in general identified that many teachers of refugees have neither the time nor and refugee settings in particular, teachers are working in difficult the necessary techniques to respond to the specific needs of pupils environments with minimal support, training, supervision, materials, that are dealing with various psychological problems and trauma. or compensation. A number of promising practices highlight that They argue, that to guarantee sustainability and a long-term effect, the quality and impact of education interventions is significantly child-centred approaches, that link pedagogical with psychosocial influenced by the training and support that we provide to teachers. components, such as their Essence of Learning initiative, need to be mainstreamed within national education and early childhood The increasing recognition of the need to put teachers at the heart care programmes – and must be incorporated into the curricula of education programming in emergencies can be seen in the inter- in national teacher training institutions. Teachers at UNRWA agency work of the Teachers in Crisis Contexts Group (TiCC) – a are systematically trained on delivering inclusive, child-centred collaborative effort to provide more and better support to teachers education, where interactive methods and recreational activities are in crisis settings. Members of the group work together to identify integrated into the teaching approach. problem areas in teacher management, development and support in crisis contexts and propose and provide inter-agency open-source As well as providing more and better support to teachers, we solutions. must also make better use of the workforce. MercyCorps’ LEARN programme shows the clear benefits to hiring Syrian teachers as part of their model. Beyond the ability to communicate in Arabic, the Syrian teachers may be more empathetic to the lived realities of the youth. Efforts by all governments hosting refugees should allow for the hiring of teachers from their country of origin.

There is also a need to develop an innovative model that allows refugee and host country teachers, to co-teach with specific methods to support the transition from one language to another, allowing for participants to gain literacy skills in both languages. In Chad, as part of the Ministry of Education’s integration efforts, several Sudanese teachers are taking part in a certified two-year teacher training programme at the national Abeche Bilingual Teacher Training College in eastern Chad to equip them to teach the Chadian curriculum and also to become familiarised with the norms and standards of the Chadian education system.

Photo: Teachers in Crisis Contexts (TiCC) is a collaborative effort to provide more and better support to teachers in crisis settings. © Teachers for Teachers

20 PERSONAL IMPACT STORY I am a changed teacher. I see every learner smiling back. Because I smile, they also smile. Teachers for Teachers: Strengthening support for refugee teachers, Teachers College, Columbia University

I am Lucy*. I vividly remember the day when I joined teaching back But now, since I took those knowledge and skills that [Teachers for in the year 2014. I went to class with two hundred and fifty children. Teachers] taught us in the training, I applied it in my class, and now These were class one learners. These were children between the every learner likes me. When I pass through, even I am at home, ages of 5-10 years. I got into the class and I was mesmerised. I I am on leave, but even when they see me from afar, [they say] actually did not know where to turn to because the learners were “Madam Lucy” because I applied those methods, methodologies and so many. Some were fighting, some were crying, some were playing techniques that you taught us in the trainings. Whenever I am in my games. I stood there for more than twenty minutes telling them to class, I apply those like, “did you understand, thumbs up. If you did not keep quiet but it all fell onto deaf ears. I tried to use a cane but no one understand, thumbs down.” And they really enjoy that one, especially listened to me. I ran out of the class very furious and frustrated. I went that one. You see, I teach small children. So when you say, “who has to the office and called one of my colleagues who came and made understood? Thumbs up!” Ohh, you see all thumbs up. “If you did not them settle down to begin a lesson. I had to start teaching almost at understand, thumbs no.” And nobody’s there. You just say, “thumbs the end of the last lesson. up!” they will laugh and all of them will be like that laughing, I really enjoy with them. I really miss them. I noticed these changes first when I used to be a reactive teacher, but due to different skills and I went to class and my learners were ready to listen. experiences I gained in the trainings, I am now a proactive teacher and I really appreciate the people who are taking us through the The school administration also congratulated me, and I also saw trainings. I was a kind of a teacher who could not talk without a cane. changes in myself. I did not have stress anymore. And also, you see If I say sit down, I cane you first and then I say sit down. Oh my God, before I did not even use to lesson plan or make a scheme of work I was harsh. I used to punish learners using corporal punishment. because I didn’t see their importance. But after attending the training, I used to be very frustrated and stressed. I used to even say, “I I saw that the scheme of work and lesson plan are very important, wish I would just leave teaching.” Before, I also used to quarrel they are vital in teaching. with teachers. I was so gloomy. Whenever a person asks me “good morning,” [I would respond] “which good morning?” You see, I had this I go to class, I see now I am a changed teacher. I see every learner stress. I would just reply the way I want because I was stressed out. smiling back. Because I smile, they also smile.

Photo: Lucy teaching a class of refugee students in Kakuma, Kenya.© Teachers for Teachers

21 Recommendation 8. Prioritise both learning and well-being

Creating environments that foster well-being are critical for children’s effective learning and development. Many displaced children require psychosocial support (PSS) and socio-emotional learning (SEL) services to help them deal with the stress and trauma they have experienced and to build resilience to help them adapt to their new surroundings. Many the case studies illustrate that we need to do more to ensure that refugee children in schools can begin to heal and learn again.

Well-being has an integral role to play in ensuring that children feel supported and can learn. Save the Children’s Learning and Well- Being in Emergencies is an approach to education in emergencies programming that focuses not only on literacy, but on the issues impacting children’s capacity to learn. It is currently being piloted in Cairo, Egypt and Doro Camp, Maban, South Sudan. By focusing on the well-being of both teachers and students and assessing their related social and emotional needs, the initiative is an effective innovation to garner community support for education and to ensure teachers and children are equipped with the tools to learn and thrive, even in the face of uncertainty.

SEL in particular is becoming an integral part of education response. Research from stable contexts shows that SEL can decrease aggression and emotional distress, and improve children’s interpersonal skills, how they view themselves, and their academic achievement. Early learning programmes such as iACT’s Little Ripples emphasise mindfulness components as a key part of the learning process, and IRC’s Healing Classrooms tutoring support programming integrates social-emotional learning principles and practices into academic instruction targeting over 4,300 Syrian refugee children in Lebanon’s Bekaa and Akkar regions. In partnership with TIES/NYU, this initiative also seeks to fill the evidence gap surrounding SEL in humanitarian settings and strengthen this relatively new area of work.

UNRWA’s Education in Emergencies programming for Palestine children in Syria has shown that the provision of psychosocial support is most efficient when an integrated and multi-stranded Photo: Mamoud* at a Save the Children supported Early Childhood approach is adopted, through: (1) structured training of teachers Care and Development programme in an informal tent settlement and frontline education staff to provide targeted PSS and for Syrian refugees in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. © Nerida build awareness that the responsibility for delivering PSS lies Williams/Save the Children with teachers as well as specialised staff; (2) addressing the psychosocial wellbeing of frontline staff themselves who comprise an essential support layer in the school; and (3) mechanisms for increasing parental engagement in, and awareness of, psychosocial support for their children.

22 PERSONAL IMPACT STORY Early childhood education delivering improved wellbeing in refugee contexts Little Ripples, iACT, Chad

Photo: iACT’s Little Ripple’s programme develops safe learning environment’s in ‘Ponds’ where teachers prioritise both children’s learning and their well-being. © iACT

When the crisis began in Darfur, Ahmed was living in Khartoum, the “When my son was at Little Ripples, he was so happy. Every day he capital of Sudan, and teaching at a university. He had a nice life there. would come home and tell us what he had learned and the activities “Not like here,” he says about living in refugee camp, Goz Amer. “Here he was doing at Little Ripples. When he turned six and it was time for we have nothing. We have bad education. We are so isolated. We are him to go to primary school, he did not want to go because he loved not advancing in any way.” Little Ripples so much.”

As a Darfuri with a university degree, English speaking skills, and a Ahmed admits that based on his experience as a teacher in primary teaching job in Khartoum, Ahmed felt vulnerable to intimidation and school, he was also sad to see his son leave Little Ripples. That is abuse from the government of Sudan. Upon hearing of the thousands why Ahmed decided to take what he had learned from the Little of people fleeing to Chad, including his extended family, he decided Ripples trainings and incorporate the curriculum and philosophy of to leave his life in Khartoum and travel to eastern Chad to be with his Little Ripples into his primary school classroom. “I like so much of people. what I have learned from Little Ripples, including the mindfulness, the learning by playing, the asking about feelings to students, and the Ahmed is a kind, soft-spoken and intelligent man. He has remained positive behaviour management, that I take all this and do it with my in refugee camp Goz Amer for over a decade, doing his best, he says, Level 1 class. The impact has been remarkable, says Ahmed. “Over “to help advance my people through education.” He is a teacher at the the year, I have seen that my class is doing better emotionally and primary school in his camp, and because of his strong English skills, academically than even the older Level 5 students. They learn better. he has been the translator for all Little Ripples’ teacher trainings in They listen. They like coming to school now.” camp Goz Amer since 2013. As a translator for Little Ripples, Ahmed has participated in, and completed, more than eight trainings. Ahmed’s efforts have caught the attention of other teachers. “Other teachers at the primary school see how well my students are doing During 2013-2016, his son was a student at Little Ripples and has and ask me to train them. Now, I have a timetable of training with the since graduated to primary school. Ahmed says he was so proud to other teachers, and I teach them about the Little Ripples curriculum see his son receive “the Little Ripples way of learning.” and how to use it with their students.”

23 Recommendation 9. Use technology in support The Promising Practices show that where technology is aligned of educational outcomes to national curriculum and accreditation systems it has the most impact. Technology is the key delivery mechanism for a learning

experience, yet frequently innovative technology for education In recent years, interest in the role of technology in refugee solutions are developed outside of the local contexts in which they education has surged worldwide, with many hoping it could are meant to be applied. Technology for learning must use local become a game changer, that radically improves access to quality content which appeals to learners and is easy to use. It must use educational opportunities in some of the most challenging contexts. the appropriate language us local cultural references. Promising This surge in interest and opportunity has also created concerns practices have engaged local content developers to create digital that technology is being seen as a silver bullet, and that there has learning materials that are appropriate for children of different been too much focus on technology rather than the educational ages and accepted by teachers, as in the case of Libraries Without outcomes it ultimately aims to provide. Promising Practices Borders and the Vodafone Foundation. illustrates how technology can be used as an effective way to reach children who have been displaced by crisis and conflict. As Technology by itself will not transform children’s learning. It Mark West, a specialist in ICT for education at UNESCO said: “The is essential to conceive and design a programme holistically. potential of mobile technology to facilitate learning in emergencies Human resources and teachers are still crucial to the success and crises is considerable but we are only just beginning to of educational initiatives. Effective blended learning practices understand how to best leverage it and how to leverage it at scale.” involve using technology alongside face-to-face learning and interactions. While technology is no panacea to educating refugees, Major investments are expanding mobile connectivity to more rural Libraries Without Borders, the Vodafone Foundation and Teachers and remote areas where refugees live. Many refugee adults own for Teachers case studies, amongst others, indicate that if it is a phone which their children can use for educational purposes. implemented well and with clarity of purpose, technology can be Phones are widely used, easily fixed and upgraded, whereas a tool to support, facilitate and enable good teaching and quality installing and maintaining other types of technology requires higher learning. With technology for refugee education being a relatively costs and technical capacity, as well as training for users. Using new concept, with many initiatives still at pilot stages or scaling up, existing technology means that educational programmes are more much more evidence is required to truly understand the role it can likely to be easily scaled up and be sustained. When considering have in reaching the most vulnerable refugee children and having bringing in new technology, the disadvantages and advantages transformative impacts on their learning outcomes. should be discussed with the local community.

Photo: David* is able to access educational material using a tablet connected to his school’s Wifi. © The Vodafone Foundation

24 PERSONAL IMPACT STORY The lack of information is like being inside a tomb, without being buried Ideas Box, Kavumu Refugee Camp, Burundi, Libraries Without Borders

Photo: Consolata and her community use the Ideas Box to access teaching materials and information. © Libraries Without Borders

Consolata is married with eight children who are not with her in the There is no Internet or no computers. This is serious. We are not in camp. An influential female political figure back in the Democratic the world. It is as if we were abandoned. You’ve seen the churches? (DRC), with a degree in French, she was in There are more than 24! Do you know why there are so many charge of a school opened by an international NGO. This school churches? The refugees have no other occupation than to pray. They has hosted over a thousand students. Her political responsibilities have no other hobbies: there’s only singing and praying. And after the have been varied: she was secretary of the Professional Council for church, there is football. That’s all we have as a distraction.” Women in South Kivu and led the political party National Union for the Defence of Rights of Unemployed. She has been the only woman But since February 2014, Consolata has had new access to leader of a political party. She was also a frequent guest of TV and information and culture thanks to the Ideas Box that was deployed radio shows, and was often invited for political debates. in Kavumu camp. She is very positive about the role that this tool has brought in the camp, especially among younger populations. But since she arrived in the Kavumu camp all of that stopped. She notes a real problem communicating with the outside world. First, she “With the renovation you bring, I assure you that there will be a says, telephone communication is deplorable. If calls from DRC can change. Our children will become scholars with this. We will compare come through, she cannot make outgoing calls because of the state them with children at home. With the Internet, with computers, with of the telephone in the Congo. As a politician and head of a school, the Ideas Box, our children will see what they have not had access to she is also very concerned with the lack of access to information and for years.” culture.

“Information! You know, I was a politician, political scientist, head teacher and female leader. I was informed about everything that was happening in the world, every day. At this moment while we are talking, I have no radio, no television, nothing. Sometimes I feel abandoned. It’s like being inside a tomb without being buried. I learned of the death of Mandela four days after his death. Before, I was the first to inform all the women and men of my town. I used to read. A principal, a politician has to read a lot. I had a lot of books in my office: educational books, political books. And to my teachers too! I was training them, giving seminars. Education is changing and we have no access to information or training.

25 CONCLUSION

Recommendation 10. Build the evidence base With refugee children being five times more likely to be out of school than non-refugee children, the need for innovative, quality There is clearly a need for a more robust evidence base for refugee education programming has never been greater. education in emergencies and refugee education specifically – and The Promising Practices in Refugee Education initiative an effective, collaborative approach to achieving this. There must demonstrates that while there are significant barriers to overcome, be a concerted effort to expand our knowledge of “what works” in there are many innovative solutions that show immense potential securing quality learning outcomes for refugee children, specifically and deserve to be replicated. answering how, for whom, where and under what condition. The practices documented as case studies and included in this A number of projects documented as promising practices are Synthesis report have made an important contribution to the making a significant contribution to the knowledge and evidence refugee education crises in each of the contexts that they have base in refugee education. been implemented. They also offer wider lessons about what works Alongside the provision of remedial classes, WUSC is collaborating and why. with the American Institutes for Research to rigorously evaluate They are not silver bullets and no practice, however promising, can the impact of the remedial class model within the refugee camp answer the refugee education challenge on its own. context. The evaluation is funded under the Humanitarian Education Accelerator, a DFID-funded project in partnership with UNHCR and However, combined with the necessary political will, funding and UNICEF, which aims to generate rigorous evidence to understand policy change the work that has made its way into this report and is how to transform high-potential pilot projects into scalable documented in detail on the promising practices website offers us education initiatives for refugees and displaced communities all a bigger set of tools, inspiring stories and practical ideas that will, worldwide. This type of research-practice initiative is hugely valuable if implemented, help get more refugee children into education and to the sector. learning.

The Education in Emergencies: Evidence for Action (3EA) research-practice partnership between the IRC and TIES/NYU represents an important new approach to programming of iterative cycles of action and research that could have significant impact on decisions and ultimately outcomes for children. The organisations are working collaboratively to build both the programme and the research design, using an integrated programme and research theory of change and evidence-based and contextually appropriate curriculum and measurement tools. The success of the 3EA research-practice partnership rests on the ability to learn, however, the lack of demand for evidence and/or the demand for quick and easy answers and the lack of availability of coordinated, multi-year funding streams, limits the ability to do so. As such, a paradigm shift to a continuous learning model is needed.

Photo: Children on the Edge provides low-profile education for Rohingya refugee children on the Myanmar – Bangladesh border. © Children on the Edge

26 27 SUMMARY OF PROMISING PRACTICES Organisation: Caritas Switzerland This report synthesises the key findings and lessons Intervention: Essence of Learning: An approach to learned from across more than twenty projects that foster and sustain children’s ability to were selected as part of the initiative. learn in times of crisis The following section of the report provides a summary Location: Gaza of each of the promising practices for which we have produced a detailed case study. Themes:

Full case studies are available at Description: The Essence of Learning (EoL) approach looks at www.promisingpractices.online the relationship between learning and psychosocial well-being. It aims to revive the learning capabilities of children, through an accelerated learning approach that addresses their root psycho- social challenges, to prepare them for successful re-integration into school.

EoL starts teaching these children at a lower level than is indicated by their age, in an innovative manner using everyday recyclable materials, that engages their interest in the content being taught and accelerates the pace to get them to their age appropriate level, in a minimal amount of time.

In Gaza, the EoL is conducted through a structured 10 week- programme, with one entry and one exit week, thus totalling to a 12 week-course. It was designed with the aim to reach a lot of children and to guide them back to their former learning ability after acute crisis in a short time.

90-94% of the children could master the regular school curriculum after visiting the EoL 10-week-programme

28 Organisation: Children on the Edge Organisation: i-ACT Intervention: Standing in the gap – Low-profile education for Intervention: Little Ripples: refugee-led early childhood forgotten Rohingya refugee children education Location: Myanmar – Bangladesh border Location: Goz Amer and Djabal refugee camps, eastern Chad Themes: Themes: Description: Standing in the gap delivers low profile and community driven education to support refugee children with Description: Little Ripples aims to build the capacity of refugee no access to services. This concept acknowledges the complex women to implement and manage early childhood education in their dynamics of the area, the pressure on all actors involved and the community. It aims to improve the social-emotional, cognitive, and limits on resources, and looks for an alternative solution, until the physical development of refugee children. situation improves. Little Ripples is hosted across each camp in the home spaces of The solution took the form of 45 small classrooms, dispersed refugees, reducing the upfront costs for education and increasing throughout the camp, with basic learning materials. Classrooms community participation and ownership of education. A simple were built out of mud either within or alongside existing dwellings structure is built inside a refugee’s home space, becoming the Little to keep a low-profile. 45 Rohingya refugees from the camps were Ripples classroom or “Pond.” trained as teachers, through a ‘train the trainer’ system. The Little Ripples curriculum and structure is a pre-established The teacher training and the curriculum delivered is from BRAC, outline of evidence-based, early childhood education developed by who provide a government approved ‘second chance education’ experts in ECD, trauma recovery, and mindfulness. model. This is a gender sensitive, pro poor and child friendly As a result of the intervention, trained teachers have reported curriculum, designed for children who have never had the chance improved relationships with their students, increased attendance, of education or who have dropped out of school. The project is increase in children’s excitement and positive feelings for preschool, founded on local partnership and active community participation. and improvements in student educational milestones. At the end of 2016, a 93% retention rate was recorded and a From surveys conducted with 134 Little Ripples students and their 97% pass rate on official exams, with 2,700 children following a caregivers, at baseline and one-year follow-up: Bangladesh government approved curriculum. • The number of students able to name colours increased from 27% to 51%.

• The number of students able to count to five or higher increased from 43% to 73%.

• The number of students able to identify four or more animals from pictures increased from 21% to 63%.

• The number of students able to recite at least the first ten letters of the alphabet with no mistakes increased from 45% to 83%.

29 Organisation: International Rescue Committee Organisation: Libraries Without Borders Intervention: Education in Emergencies: Evidence for Action Intervention: Ideas Box: Access to information and (3EA) research-practice partnership education in emergency situations Location: Lebanon Location: Kavumu Refugee Camp, Burundi

Themes: Themes:

Description: In February 2016, the International Rescue Description: Ideas Box provides access to education and quality Committee (IRC) and Global TIES for Children at New York information via a mobile, field ready, high quality, safe and attractive University launched the Education in Emergencies: Evidence for learning space. A humanitarian response device for access to Action (3EA) research-practice partnership. 3EA encompasses two information, education and culture, Ideas Box is a portable media programmes of work: centre that unfolds on 100 square meters.

1. Impact: Iteratively implement and test practices to identify The contents of the Ideas Box are always customised to the needs not only what works to improve children’s holistic learning and of the local population, taking into account the spoken languages, development (CHILD) and programme implementation quality (PIQ), the needs and cultures of community partners. but also how, for whom, and under what conditions. After a year of development in Burundi that provided valuable 2. Measurement and Metrics: Design, adapt, test, and build capacity insights and lessons, Libraries Without Borders has begun to to embed high-quality CHILD and PIQ measurement tools and scale the Ideas Box, in partnership with local or international methods in field M&E systems as well as in impact evaluations. NGOs operating in emergency and post-conflict situations. These NGOs are operating in multiple different sectors in addition to Among Syrian refugee students enrolled in Lebanese public education such as psychosocial support, protection, livelihoods and schools, access to the 3EA non-formal retention support health. Together with Libraries Without Borders, they designed programming, significantly improved Syrian refugee students’ programmes for the local communities that include the use of the Arabic reading and math skills after four months of implementation. Ideas Box to integrate cultural mediation and access to information Two randomized trials have now provided evidence that the IRC’s and education as a tool to reach their objectives. Learning in a Healing Classroom social-emotional learning-infused teacher training and curricular programme works across delivery Students who were taught by their usual teachers within the Ideas modes and contexts to improve children’s academic skills in crisis Box showed on average a 23% higher progression rate than contexts. students who did not benefit from the Ideas Box and studied in a classic school setting. Syrian refugee children who have access to 3EA retention support programming, showed signs of recognizing and becoming more open to expressing their feelings, even their negative feelings. While Syrian refugee children struggled to attend retention support classes, the amount and quality of implementation of retention support programming matters.

30 Organisation: Mercy Corps Organisation: Norwegian Refugee Council Intervention: Learning and Empowerment for Adolescents in Intervention: Non-formal education programming: enabling their Neighbourhoods (LEARN) refugee children to enrol and integrate into the Location: Turkey formal certified education system Location: Lebanon Themes: Themes: Description: LEARN aims to meet out-of-school refugee youth in Turkey ‘where they are at’, both in terms of work schedule and Description: Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) provided isolation. The intervention consists of four central components: non-formal education programming to Syrian refugee and host i) individual instruction, ii) peer groups, iii) tablets with curated community children over a four-year period, using a 3-phased software, and iv) caregiver information sessions. approach: 1) Education in Emergencies 2) Structured non-formal education programmes aimed at reintegrating children into the The design of the programme fills a significant gap, reaching certified public education system. 3) Support to formal education. vulnerable adolescents who are otherwise unable to engage in The programme provides a sense of normalcy, protection and self- formal or non-formal education. The flexible design allows for reliance, and to establish pathways to certified formal education. instruction on a schedule when, and in a location where, students are available. Tablets can be used offline and in the student’s own From 2013 to 2016, NRC enrolled 42,454 refugee and host time. community children in their non-formal education programmes. In all phases, NRC’s holistic education approach included: After two cohorts of the LEARN project, end-line data and assessments show that learners made significant gains in math, • Facilitating the integration of children in school through a English, Arabic, and Turkish. LEARN was effective at re-engaging comprehensive approach that matches learning and academic out-of-school adolescents in learning and increasing their interest skills with psycho-social and recreational support and life skills and willingness to re-enrol in formal education. training;

• Involving parents and the wider community through awareness/ information sessions aimed at increased engagement of parents in the learning and development of their children at school.

• Supporting teachers and school personnel in adopting child- centered and inclusive approaches inside the classroom.

• Creating a safe and conducive learning environment

Assessment data following the implementation of Basic Literacy and Numeracy in the South of Lebanon in 2016, showed that 76% of the children who attended classes, successfully enrolled in formal public education.

31 Organisation: Relief International Organisation: Save the Children Intervention: Social Innovation Labs Intervention: Learning and Well-being in Emergencies Location: Jordan Location: Doro camp, Maban, South Sudan and urban Cairo, Egypt Themes: Themes: Description: Social Innovation Labs (SIL) is a unique programme of creative hang-out space for adolescents that enables them to Description: Learning and Well-being (LWiE) aims to improve propose and implement solutions for social issues in camps. SIL refugee children’s foundational learning, reading, literacy and social aims to develop 21st century skills and empower adolescents. emotional skills and knowledge, and strengthen teacher capacity to Taking a broad definition of education, with a focus on building better monitor and respond to learning achievement assessment. competences such as real-life problem-solving, teamwork, and LWiE is based on Save the Children’s flagship Literacy Boost creative trouble-shooting the SIL approach has provided an model. Literacy Boost is an innovative, evidence-based approach equitable platform for young people to apply both formal education to improving literacy learning outcomes, originally designed for skills and those they have developed outside of the school development contexts in response to growing evidence of gaps in environment. basic literacy learning. Launched in 2009, it has been implemented in 34 countries with the support of partners. Literacy Boost The two-stage, competitive format has proven effective in aims to ensure that children are supported in school and in their generating collaborative and innovative projects that more efficiently communities to strengthen the core skills of reading based on address the growing social needs in refugee camps. the three pillars of: Learning Assessment, Teacher Training and Community Engagement. SIL are a catalyst for further innovation within the camps and bring opportunities to the camp – essential in a context where formal LWiE adheres to the same three pillars but with a stronger focus employment and freedom of movement are strictly limited. Having a on well-being – measuring children’s well-being as it relates to their skilled cadre of young people with strong leadership skills attracts learning outcomes, ensuring teachers have the skills and knowledge further investment and interest from the development and private to promote social and emotional learning in the classroom and sectors. engaging the local community in activities that promote literacy and well-being outside of the school.

This a pilot due to finish in December 2017. The anticipated results will include: strengthened capacity of teachers to respond to individual learner’s needs and use more effective teaching practices with refugee children; increased community support of children’s learning; and finally, that the pilot will inform EiE advocacy and funding for refugee situations within Egypt and South Sudan and globally.

32 Organisation: Save the Children Organisation: Teachers College Columbia Intervention: Programme on the Move – development and Intervention: Teachers for Teachers: Strengthening Support implementation of innovative and flexible for Refugee Teachers participatory programmes for children on the Location: Kakuma, Kenya move Location: Serbia Themes:

Themes: Description: Teachers are at the heart of learning and yet receive limited support in refugee contexts. In response to this Description: The aim is to overcome the gap in provision of Teachers for Teachers provides competency-based, continuous education opportunities for children on the move throughout Serbia, teacher professional development. It is an integrated professional using a toolkit initially designed for Psychosocial Support (PSS). development model that combines teacher training, peer coaching The programme developed “Boxes of Wonder” - a unique tool for and mobile mentoring. conducting PSS and non-formal education activities, based on a participatory and child rights approach. Teachers for Teachers provides the knowledge and skills necessary The boxes are designed as physical boxes (plastic and wooden for teachers to make their classrooms protective, healing and boxes filled with materials and templates for activities) but also as learning environments. concepts to work on, re-design and adjust to the needs of children, The training model consists of two tracks and utilizes the Training facilitators and to the physical space where the activities are being Pack for Primary School Teachers in Crisis Contexts: (1) a short- held. The boxes create a meeting space between children and term training conducted over a period of four days, consisting of 12 field workers, offer materials, ideas and contents, and encourage sessions in 23 hours; and (2) a long-term training that runs over dialogue, joint exploration and participation in activities. several months, consisting of 18 sessions and 60 hours. Training The main change outcome, based on regular programme monitoring takes place in the form of workshops where international and local and evaluation is that children on the move exercise their right staff lead in-person training sessions with cohorts of ideally 25-30 to education, regardless of the period of time they have for the teachers. Topics for both training schedules include: Teacher’s activities or the amount of time they spend at certain location. Role and Well-being; Child Protection, Well-being and Inclusion; ; and Curriculum and Planning. Trainings are interactive, Field workers highlighted many positive changes in children’s practical, and draw on local expertise in the Kakuma context. behaviour, including increased motivation to learn, better confidence, improved self-awareness, and understanding of their Teachers who participated in the Teachers for Teachers programme rights and opportunities reported better preparation, higher confidence, a stronger sense of purpose—not just as educators, but also as advocates for child protection and positive discipline—and that they were more aware of useful practices that can be used in their classrooms.

33 Organisation: UNRWA Organisation: The Vodafone Foundation Intervention: UNRWA Education in Emergencies Programme Intervention: Instant Network Schools Location: Syria (Palestine refugees) Location: DR Congo, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania

Themes: Themes:

Description: The UNRWA Education in Emergencies (EiE) Description: Instant Networks Schools (INS) provide a holistic programme uses a multi-stranded, integrated approach, which solution to transform an existing classroom into an innovation hub involves: for learning – complete with Internet connectivity, sustainable solar power, an Instant Classroom (digital classroom in-a-box specially 1) Delivering learning in different ways, through self-learning print created for the INS programme which includes 25 tablets, a laptop, materials and the use of UNRWA TV and interactive computer- a projector and speaker, a 3G modem and batteries to run the kit based learning programmes, and establishing safe learning and for a day of class), localized digital content; and a robust teacher recreational spaces for children to continue to learn and play; training programme.

2) Providing more psychosocial support to children, with additional The Vodafone Foundation believes that successful technology- counsellors, recreational activities and awareness-raising for led educational programmes are driven by the alignment of 9 frontline staff on the importance of psychosocial support; and elements: Programme Ownership, Local Initiatives, Teacher Training, Educational Content, Content & Tablet Management, Connectivity, 3) Introducing safety and security training for parents, teachers, Power, Hardware and Monitoring & Evaluation. To date, over 40,000 School Principals and students. young refugees and 600 teachers are benefitting from the INS Between 2012 and 2016, more than 66,000 children have been each month. directly impacted through the UNRWA EiE response in Syria. An independent impact assessment study is on-going. However, Despite the hardship endured by UNRWA students living in initial qualitative feedback received from beneficiaries already Syria, UNRWA’s 2017 Annual Operational Report highlights their provides some insights on the perceived value of the INS strong performance against key education indicators, with a high Programme: percentage of UNRWA students staying in school and a good • In most contexts, the INS programme is viewed as positively gender equity across all indicators contributing to student retention.

UNRWA Palestine refugees in Syria achieved one of the highest • Quality improvements have been seen in the performance of levels of academic attainment in the Agency-wide Monitoring of refugee children in national examinations. 90% of the 3,894 Learning Achievement assessment of 2016, compared with their candidates who sat the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education peers in other UNRWA fields of operation. passed and attained the required grade to join secondary schools, which represented a pass rate higher than the national average, which stood at 75.6%.

• Immediate improvements have been the development of ICT literacy amongst both teachers and students.

34 Organisation: War Child UK Organisation: Windle Trust Kenya Intervention: Time to be a Child - Play, Learning and Child- Intervention: Two Schools in One: Management of high Centred Development for Children Affected by enrolment in refugee secondary schools the Syrian Crisis Location: Kenya Location: Jordan Themes: Themes: Description: This approach uses secondary schools in an effective Description: Whilst there was a plethora of organisations providing double shift model to accommodate more students. This is not informal education for displaced Syrian children, there are very just being done by using the existing resources but also better few organisations working in Early Childhood Care & Development equipping the schools to ensure student success at the secondary (ECCD) in Emergencies. ‘Time to be a Child’ is a three-year project level. It is having the catalytic effect of increasing enrolment in that will deliver play, learning and child-centred development primary schools - more incentives for students if they know they activities to children affected by the Syrian crisis in Jordan and have opportunities to progress. Lebanon. The shared physical infrastructure includes classrooms, laboratories, Psychosocial support, life skills, recreational activities and ECCD kitchens, latrines, hand-washing facilities, libraries, reference books, is be provided to children through a series of ‘safe spaces’. ICT facilities, playgrounds, sports facilities and assembly grounds. Psychosocial support is delivered to parents and caregivers, The concept differs from the multi-shift system because the supporting the maintenance and creation of safe and nurturing administrative and teaching staff changes completely from morning home environments. Child protection committees formed of local to afternoon. adults keep children safe and build awareness of child rights The introduction of the Two Schools In One approach in four Positive Parenting sessions provides adults with the skills, secondary schools has doubled the intake from 2,558 to 5,118 knowledge and materials to continue educating their children students. This can be tracked in the EMIS data collected in outside of the classroom 2016/2017, which reflects that a total of 2,411 males and 2,707 females are benefitting from the approach. War Child UK has seen high attendance scores above 83% across the ECCD centres in Zarqa, Amman, Mafraq and Zaatari camp. In Quarter 4 of 2017 War Child will undertake further research on best methods for child friendly feedback mechanisms to ensure accountability to beneficiaries throughout the project.

35 Organisation: World University Service of Canada Organisation: We Love Reading Intervention: Remedial Education Programme: An Innovation Intervention: We Love Reading: Promoting Literacy and to Improve Girls’ Academic Performance in Education through Reading Aloud in Community Refugee Contexts Settings Location: Kenya Location: Jordan and Ethiopia Themes: Themes:

Description: The aim is to improve learning outcomes of refugee Description: We Love Reading is a programme that plants the love and host community girls in upper grades (classes 5 to 8) through of reading within children by training adults to read aloud to children provision of remedial classes (among other targeted project in a public space on a routine basis with books that are appropriate interventions). Specifically, the remedial programmes address two for children. The We Love Reading programme constitutes of key challenges: girls’ poor academic performance and low levels of training local volunteers to hold read aloud sessions in public community support for girls’ education. spaces in their neighbourhoods where books are routinely read The provision of remedial education has helped girls to improve aloud and exchanged with children. their overall academic performance. Between 2014 and 2015, girls Research has shown that 80% of children who attend We Love in Class 6 showed the greatest improvement in literacy test scores, Reading reading aloud sessions have shown increasingly positive from an average of 32 in 2014 to 42 by the end of 2015. Qualitative attitudes towards reading, and are more willing to go back to school evidence shows that girls value the remedial education programme because they associate reading with enjoyment. They are more because it allows them additional time outside of regular school to empathetic because they learn about other cultures and people, continue their studies, which is not always possible for them to do and as a consequence perform better at school and become more at home. confident. Increased attendance and demand for remedial classes in both We Love Reading is an effective and sustainable model because Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps has shown that parents and it is managed and owned by local volunteers who are part of the guardians are increasingly willing to allow girls to attend additional community, and know when and where is best to read to children. classes on weekends. Given that girls might otherwise be tasked We Love Reading has influenced parent-child relationships by with household responsibilities, families are increasingly making the building bridges of understanding and communication between the choice to prioritise girls’ education. Demand for remedial classes two generations through reading, simultaneously alleviating mental has increased from 1440 girls in 2014 to 2646 girls in 2016. stress from trauma.

Photo: Amina*, aged 11, a Somali refugee living in Dola Ado, Ethiopia with her textbook. © Jonathan Hyams/Save the Children

36 37 ENDNOTES ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

1 For better coordination purposes, the Minister of Education and The Promising Practices in Refugee Education initiative was project Higher Education decided to create an NGO subcommittee. managed by Save the Children. Special thanks to the project team, The committee includes representatives of 2 international including Joseph Nhan-O’Reilly, Charlotte Bergin, Emma Wagner, NGOs, 4 national NGOs and one academic institution. Sebastien Hine and Lindsey Dickinson.

2 Development Initiatives (2017) Global Humanitarian Assistance This report was written by Charlotte Bergin, Education Adviser, Report 2017, Development Initiatives Save the Children.

3 Burns & Lawrie, 2015, Kirk and Winthrop, 2005, We would like to acknowledge colleagues at UNHCR and Pearson Sarah Dryden-Peterson, 2011. who supported this work, including Ita Sheehy, Clara Van Praag, Laetitia Lemaistre, Ellen Maree Al Daqqa and Gemma Terry. 4 Kirk and Winthrop, 2005 Our sincere thanks go to all our colleagues in partner organisations 5 Mobile Learning Week 2017 – Education in emergencies involved in producing the case studies, as well as implementing staff and crises Press Release 22 Dec 2016. Available a: and beneficiaries whose promising practices have been used to http://bit.ly/2eBFTpJ inform this report. a Policy Paper 25: Aid to education stagnates, jeopardising global We would also like to acknowledge the outstanding efforts of our targets. May 2016 Global Monitoring Report, UNESCO http:// friends at Creative Co-op. unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002448/244817E.pdf Names in case studies have been changed to protect identities.

Published by Save the Children UK 1 St. John’s Lane London EC1M 4AR www.savethechidlren.org.uk

First published 2017 © Save the Children United Kingdom Registered charity number 213890

This publication is copyright, but may be reproduced by any method without fee or prior permission for teaching purposes, but not for resale. For copying in any other circumstances, prior written permission must be obtained from the published, and a fee may be payable.

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Photo: Children in class in the Mae La Camp in Mae Sot, Thailand. © Egan Hwan/Save the Children

38 39 Promising Practices in Refugee Education is a joint initiative of Save the Children, the world’s largest independent children’s rights organisation, UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, and Pearson, the world’s learning company.

Launched in March 2017, the initiative set out to identify, document and promote innovative ways to effectively reach refugee children and young people with quality educational opportunities.

More than twenty promising practices were selected as part of the initiative. The practices have been grouped under one or more of six themes.

Equity Access

Learning Wellbeing

Technology System Strengthening

The practices and the experience of implementing partners have been used to identify ten recommendations, grouped under three overarching pillars, aimed at improving refugee education policy and practice. They are:

Approaching the immediate crisis with a long-term perspective: 1. Strengthen inclusive national systems 2. Commit to predictable multi-year funding for education programming and research in refugee responses 3. Improve collaboration and develop innovative partnerships

Understanding different contexts and meeting distinct needs 4. Adopt user-centred design and empowering approaches 5. Establish diverse pathways that meet distinct needs 6. Use space and infrastructure creatively

Improving outcomes for all 7. Support teachers to help ensure quality 8. Prioritise both learning and well-being 9. Use technology as an enabling tool in pursuit of education outcomes 10. Build a robust evidence base

This report contains our reflections on all the promising practices that we identified and documented along with their implications for policy and practice.

More information including case studies, this Synthesis Report and a series of articles from thought leaders in the field can be found at www.promisingpractices.online

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